iPods can cause commuter rage among fellow passengers

Melbourne, Oct 7 : Your iPod might be helping you escape the reality of train travel, but the 'musical experience' may send fellow commuters into a rage, says a new study.

Led by Monash University PhD student Michael Walsh, who studied the use of portable music devices (PMDs) on trains, the study found that such devices made the listeners aloof from the reality of train travel and restricts him from standard social behaviours. One user claimed that she would put on her music while travelling for cutting herself off from fellow commuters' sniffing, snorting and loud chatter.

"You're forced to be in a space where other people are talking about things and, if you don't want to listen, it's in your face," News.com.au quoted her, as saying.

However, listening to music while on the go doesn't go down well with fellow commuters.

"The non-users in this study, while understanding the need to 'escape'... seem to resent or take issue with this use because the PMD user fails to communally experience the aural soundscape," said Walsh.

One of the commuter said that he detested the isolation of iPods.

"They just s--- me. I don't want to have a couple of things welded to my f---ing ears (so) that I can't hear anything else that's going on," he said.

In fact, Walsh, who himself is a self-confessed iPod user, said that he also found that PMD users knew could be damaging their hearing but still didn't take any step to give up their music.